The Food-Loving City Explorer's Perfect 2 Days in London

Arrive first thing, ideally before 10:00 a.m., for a quieter view and better photographs. Big Ben is the bell; the tower is officially Elizabeth Tower, beside the Palace of Westminster.

Order the full English breakfast at this classic greasy spoon: beans, streaky bacon, eggs, black pudding, sausage, and hash browns. It is close to Westminster and known for hot food at good prices.

Check the current ceremony schedule before going. On operating days, arrive about an hour early and stand beside the railings facing the courtyard rather than directly beside the palace gate for the best view.

Allow time for the royal memorials, statues, coronation setting, and royal wedding history. Book ahead because admission can sell out; the reservation is especially important for a tightly scheduled two-day visit.

Explore the Victorian iron-and-glass market roof and its small shops before eating. The market is a distinctive architectural stop between Westminster and the City.

This historic restaurant inside Leadenhall Market dates to 1780. The featured choices were haddock fish and chips with sauces, peas, and caramelized lemon, plus lamb chops and chickpeas. Treat it as a splurge: the meal shown cost £110 for two mains, dessert, and four drinks.

Use the market as the cheaper alternative to a landmark-area lunch. Street-food dishes were described at around £10, with plenty of classic English options.

Buy tickets in advance; the ride takes about 30 minutes in a spacious glass pod and provides a 360-degree view over both historic and modern London. It is around £35 per person and is weather-dependent.

Walk across or view the bridge while visiting the Tower area. Make sure Google Maps says Tower Bridge rather than London Bridge; the two are different landmarks.

Reserve admission ahead of time for the fortress and Crown Jewels exhibition. Inside, focus on the thousand-year history, prison and execution stories, torture devices, and the crowns, scepters, and orbs.

Have breakfast inside this food court, which occupies an old church and retains its stained-glass windows. The featured dishes were smoked-salmon toast with poached eggs and tomato toast with Spanish cured ham.

This free museum contains over eight million objects. Give the highlights about two hours, arriving early or visiting late afternoon to avoid the heaviest midday crowds.

Do not miss the Rosetta Stone, then make time for the Greek galleries and the Parthenon sculptures. The collection also includes Egyptian mummies and ancient statues and scrolls.

Set aside an afternoon for the Thames cruise with afternoon tea: tea, champagne, sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and pastries including lemon tart. The route gives water-level views of Big Ben, the Tower of London, and Tower Bridge.

Use the riverbank as a free alternative or companion to the cruise. It is one of the best ways to connect central landmarks without treating the Thames as merely a backdrop to Big Ben.

Use the Tube for this cross-city movement rather than assuming the landmarks are close enough to walk. The Tube is generally faster and cheaper than buses in this itinerary, while contactless payment avoids a separate Oyster card.

See the large illuminated billboards, then continue on foot along Regent Street to appreciate its grand, roughly century-old buildings. Oxford Street is touristy, but it can be especially attractive around sunset.

Finish in Soho for lively bars and restaurants. In pubs, observe what locals do: many traditional places require ordering and paying at the bar, and you may need to ask for the bill rather than waiting for it to arrive.